Abu Dhabi, UAE - Hashed, a global venture capital firm, has committed lead funding to HiT Grading & Authentication, the UAE-founded company that provides grading and authentication services for pop-culture collectibles. The capital injection positions Hashed as the primary institutional backer and signals a strategic push into the region's burgeoning collectibles market.
HiT, launched in the UAE with backing from Speedy Comics Group, one of the region's larger pop culture firms, has been building an infrastructure platform for collectors, retailers, and investors in the Middle East. The company currently offers grading and authentication, and it operates a growing network of physical outlets that stock major global franchises including Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Topps, One Piece, and Dragon Ball.
Business focus and network
The platform is focused on creating a trusted layer for the market - a combination of services for verification and condition assessment alongside retail distribution that serves collectors and traders across the region. Management emphasized the link between trust and market development, noting that transparent infrastructure is necessary to channel existing demand and capital into formalized marketplaces.
Strategic rationale
Hashed framed the investment as part of a broader intention to deepen its presence in the UAE and to help construct a Korea - UAE cultural and commercial corridor. The firm cited the global rise of Korean cultural IP across music, comics, gaming, and trading cards as one factor behind its interest, and it views the Middle Eastern collector economy as a natural area for growth.
Simon Seojoon Kim, CEO of Hashed, said: "Collectibles are a way of putting a price on culture, and markets begin with trust, not transactions. The global collectibles market already has both demand and capital,what's missing is the infrastructure layer. HiT has the founder capability, local network, and operational track record to build it."
Dr. Rashed Al Farooq, Co-Founder of HiT and Group CEO of Speedy Comics Group, added: "Collectibles are evolving into a global asset class, and the Middle East is emerging as a major hub for pop culture and trading card communities. Hashed brings deep expertise in collectibles markets, alongside one of Asia's strongest networks across entertainment, IP, and cultural platforms. Together, we are excited to accelerate HiT's growth into the region's defining collectibles infrastructure - and ultimately a global platform connecting collectors across the Middle East, Asia, and beyond."
Dr. Sharifa Abdulqader Obaid, Managing Director and Co-Founder of HiT Grading, said: "Our vision with HiT has always been to build trust at scale - combining operational excellence, technology, and community. This partnership with Hashed validates that vision and strengthens our ability to create a structured, transparent, and globally connected ecosystem for collectors, brands, and investors across the region."
Founder's collector profile
The investment announcement highlighted Dr. Rashed Al Farooq's personal involvement in the space. He is described as a prominent private collector in the region with a collection valued at over $200 million that includes rare comics, manga, trading cards, and signed memorabilia. Noted pieces in that collection are early landmark items such as Superman #1 and Amazing Fantasy #15, seminal Weekly Shonen Jump issues featuring the debuts of One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto, and ultra-rare signed trading cards from Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and Marvel Topps.
Growth agenda and operational priorities
HiT plans to direct the new capital toward scaling its operations across the Gulf Cooperation Council, enhancing technology-driven grading and authentication capabilities, and deepening cross-border partnerships that bridge Middle Eastern and Asian collector communities. The company aims to expand its retail footprint and operational capacity while developing systems for more consistent, technology-enhanced verification and grading.
Company profiles and contacts
About HiT Grading & Authentication: HiT is a UAE homegrown platform focused on grading and authentication of trading cards, comics, sports memorabilia, and other pop-culture artifacts. The company aims to be the Middle East's leading infrastructure for collectible authentication, grading, and marketplace services, connecting regional collectors with the global collectibles economy.
Contact: Mohamed Rinzan - [email protected]
About Hashed: Hashed was established in 2017 and operates as a global venture capital firm focused on investments and research into startups and decentralized protocols. The firm lists offices in Seoul, San Francisco, Singapore, Bangalore, and Abu Dhabi, and it describes itself as an early supporter of a range of pioneering teams globally, providing support to portfolio companies to help founders achieve wider adoption.
Contact: Wooster Han - [email protected]
Analysis summary
This transaction places institutional capital behind a regional infrastructure play for collectibles, combining retail presence, authentication services, and the ambition to link Middle Eastern collectors to international markets. The partnership emphasizes trust-building as foundational to market development and prioritizes investments in technology and cross-border connectivity as key levers for growth.